September 2008 Newsletter
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Volume 2, Number 7 Beer Adventure Issue Sept / October, 2008 Beers of the North: Skagway and Edmonton SKAGWAY'S OLD TOwN, 7TH &' Beers of the Far East: "'.~"', :,' ',» .' Vietnam and China 2 boor advonturo igguo: SEPTEMBER 1 Cover Beer Travel Collage by fell MEEJ:ING 2 September's Meeting Minutes, MINUTES Notes and Announcements We had a very good turnout for our first meeting of the new season by Brian Read 40 people, including 9 new members. Darren Smith, sales manager from 4 North to Alasl<a! Canada Malting gave an excellent and Roger Marler hits the road informative presentation on the production of specialty malts. Thank 5 Sl<agway Brews you Darren! Michael Willis explores the old town This was followed by a tasting 6 Wild Rose Wort of the 19 beers from the Wild Rose Challenge results ~ Wort Challenge. What an interesting ~ and creative exercise it was. In August these beers were judged either 7 The Beers of Vietnam as Most Commercially Viable Beer or Dean Royer on the Most Creative Brew - see Page 6 for Ho Chi Minn Trail those results. Prizes were awarded in these categories as well as for the Club Fan Favourite. The popular 10 Chinese Brews choice for the Club favorite at his fell drinks in Beijing meeting was an excellent Dubbel, brewed by Michael Nazarec. We spoke briefly about the CTYW Open Competition to be held in February. More details, of course, to follow. There was also the idea to 15 GCBF 2008 &Treasurer's Report hold one of our regular meetings at a by Brian Read different brewery - perhaps the Wild Wood sometime in the near future. used as a synonym for Marzen, is due One of our members, Darren Bender, tothe fact that, historically, this recently wrote the BJCP (Beer Judge styleof beer was brewed in March, Certification Program) examination in stored in caves during the summer Edmonton, and just got his results. months, then served on October, when He scored 85%, an excellent result. To the cool weather returned. put this in perspective, a score of 60% A closely related style is Vienna, is required to become a recognized judge, with a similar profile to Oktoberfest, 70% to be a certified judge, 80% to be a but slightly less robust. national judge, and 90% to be a master These beers have four significant judge (when the required experience qualities, viz: Elegance, Softness, points for judging are obtained. Complexity, and Balance. Balance means Congratulations, Darren. that malt flavours, and hop flavors and bitterness are well melded, with AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE OUR neither one dominating. The complexity CLUB'S PRESTIGE AND RECOGNITION is derived from the ingredients, a The American Homebrewers Association mixture of different malts and hops offers a chance, six times per year (including noble hops), rather than (every 2 months) to compete nationwide from brewing by products derived from with other homebrew clubs. For more the yeast. The softness is a result of information, go to the careful balance and the brewing http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/club. conditions. These beers are html. The executive has decided to key amber-colored lagers; robust but our beer themes for six of the meetings gentle. in 2009 to this contest. The beer theme They use Moravian barley [which is for our meeting on the month of the grown in other places than Moravia (A contest will be the beer that is featured region in the Czech Republic) at the in that particular month. We encourage present time]. Significant quantities members to homebrew a beer on that style of Vienna Malt, and dark and light and to bring it to the meeting for Crystal are also used, to impart an tasting and evaluation. The favourite amber colour, and a roasty, toasty, beer will be sent (at the club's expense) complex malt profile. Several types of to the AHA contest. hops are often, used, most notably Let's try and score some points for our Saaz. The water can have significant club! The theme for the January 2009 amounts of Calcium, but not Sulfate. meeting will be Belgian Beers. Brian Read OCTOBER MEETING: OKTOBERFEST (MARZEN) If anyone has a homebrewed beer in this style, please bring 2 - 3 bottles. We will also be providing some commercial examples. The term Oktotberfest, often 4 dissimilar from the Calgary Farmer's Market. The NORTH TO ALASI<A brewery was set up using the old equipment from by Roger Marler Flanagan's. The original sugar vat used by Wing's has been retained and a doorway cut into it ti allow access to the Tasting Room, replete with a couple For the last two weeks of July 2008, Michael and I of Lava lamps; this is a retro ambience for a retro drove the Alaska Highway to Skagway, Alaska building. The Tap Room is very informal and a and then all the way back again. The specific couple of beers were available: Bub's Lunch Pail intention was to ride the preserved steam train of Ale (named after a Trailer Park Boys character) the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. The journey was not beer specific. However, we did and Sap Vampire Maple Lager. This was an visit some places along the way that brew or sell interesting experiment with pale syrup in beer. It is beer and we did enjoy some fine examples... definately better to pour this over your pancakes - Alleykat Brewery and Amber's Brewery rather than to drink it along side. both in Edmonton Three days of driving later... - The Sherbrooke Liquor Store, Edmonton - Yukon Brewery, Whitehorse SKAGWAY BREWING CO. - Skagway Brewing Co. Skagway, Alaska (www.skagwaybrewing.com) We didn't know of its - Jasper Brewing Company existence until the day before we arrived in Skagway, so imagine our pleasure when we ALLEY KAT BREWING CO. LTO. discovered that we has struck gold! Established in 1897, to coincide with the Yukon Gold Rush, it (www.alleykatbeer.com) has two surprises: it is was reestablished in 2007 in a new building in the the tidiest and cleanest brewery I have ever heart of the town. After some resistence by the visited. We were immediately greeted at an pub staff, we were eventually rewarded with a administration area and a spotlessly clean brewery tour (thanks Matt!) - without the $30 town rtaproom, both of which hide the atual brewing tour - and met the amiable Brew Master Trevor. area. Considering the significant retail stock of Again, there was a single brewing line and only Alley Kat's bottled beers, the brewing operation is four fermentation tanks. Seven beers are brewed, very small; one brewing line with six fermentation but only the Boomtown Brown Ale and the Blue tanks. The mash tun is emplty for no longer than Top Porter were available on tap in the pub. The two hours at a time on any given day. That makes Brown ale was reminiscent of British Browns while for a busy brewery. We sampled: Charlie Flint's the Porter was a bit on the heavy side and seems Lager, Full Moon Pale Ale, Big AI's Red Kiss to have been served too young. This appears to and the Amber Ale. Big AI's was brewed as a be a theme here as the management is more special order for the Sherbrooke Liquor Store interested in getting beer to the taps rather than its which by the way, is the best place to buy beer in quality. It all succeeds with transient and thronging Edmonton. They have a lot of good beers in cruise ship tourists who probably prefer Coors stock. anyway. We also tasted Propector Pale, Chilkoot TariliPA and Spruce Tip Ale from the AMBER'S BREWING CO. fermentation tanks. (www.ambersbrewing.com) is in stark contrast to Alley Kat. It has space to spare and does not More on Skagway ... brew a significant amount. They occupy one third - - of a 1960s wood framed building, not too - - 5 Unlike other pubs in town, the choices here are a taster's dream. Seven house brews: Red Star SI<AGWAY Amber, Spruce Tip Ale, Chilkoot TrailIPA, Oosik ~ .~ Stout, Prospector Pale, Blue Top Porter and ... "6l'".., ~.~. ~1 BREWS Boomtown Brown are normally available. This little ~.fi-j place is successful, so much so that their own brews ;" \ were almost all sold out. We had to make do with the porter and the brown, but they were worth the visit. 'f \~\' -~, by Michael Willis The porter was deliciously malty and well balanced. -' - . -- The brown suffered by comparison that day, but on "-~ . I II ' my second visit I started with the brown and grew to appreciate its subtle difference. I moved on to some of the guest beers to get a feel for what Mike is trying to accomplish. Maudite, Skagway is a bipolar village by design. A Blanche de Chambly, Colorado's Blue Moon poulation of 850 locals On an isolated inlet of the Alaska Hefeweizen, Fish Tale's Plae Ale and St. Louis panhandle is the remnant of the most important overland Kriek were the other offerings on tap. I presume this transit point to the Yukon Gold Rush. A sea port and a to be an indication of mr. Healy's tastes and a map of railway terminus are all that remain of a once busy where he'd like to take the pub. Too bad we never commercial centre. The railway no longer runs had a chance to meet Mike. commodity traffic north over the White Pass. The first The decor is pleasant, a roomy space are ship in years recently left the port with copper are decorated with local memotabilia and featuring a from the Yukon, this time trucked over hundreds of miles lovingly restored long bar from an earlier saloon.